1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method in which operation is possible by a gesture input.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many devices that have become available in recent years incorporate an input system that employs a touch-sensitive panel. Intuitive inputs such as gesture inputs can be made by using the touch-sensitive panel for this purpose. A gesture input is an input method of correlating a predetermined action with a specific device operation and executing the specific operation by inputting a gesture using a pen or finger.
With such a device using a touch-sensitive panel, inputs can be made efficiently by changing over the operation executed on the device side, in accordance with the processing desired by the user, in response to the same input, namely tracing by a pen or finger. For example, this means distinguishing whether a character is being input or whether a gesture is being input. Described below is an example in which processing is thus changed over in such a manner that different operations can be executed in response to the same input.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-228350 (referred to as “Patent Document 1” below), processing is changed over by a method of touching two or more points on a touch-sensitive panel simultaneously in order to switch between two types of input processing, namely character input processing and pointing processing. Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-295889 (referred to as “Patent Document 2” below), three types of processing, namely horizontal scrolling, vertical scrolling and page feed, are switched among by pressing a switch.
In accordance with Patent Document 1, it is possible to implement two different processing operations on the same touch-sensitive panel. However, it is required to perform a complicated changeover operation (touching two or more points on the touch-sensitive panel simultaneously) in order to change over between character input processing and pointing processing. Further, in Patent Document 2, it is required that the switch be pressed whenever a changeover is made among horizontal scrolling, vertical scrolling and page feed processing. It is required that the selecting operation be repeated in order to switch to the desired processing.